Compactors have been Widely used in residential and industrial facilities to compress or compact waste materials generated by the occupants thereof. The economical and environmental advantages of compacting waste are well known.
Numerous arrangements for trash compactors have been previously proposed. The following U.S. patents illustrate several known compactors. U.S. Pat. Nos.: 3,229,622; 3,231,107; 3,318,231; 3,625,140; 3,808,967; 4,184,424; 4,603,625; and 4,715,767. However, earlier proposed trash compactors have a number of disadvantages inherent thereto, some of which are enumerated below. For example, some known compactors generally include a compactor housing having a ram and a hydraulic control system permanently stored therein. Such a compacting system is undesirable because the hydraulic control system cannot be readily accessed to service the same.
Other known compactors include a hydraulic control system which is disposed remote from the compactor housing. This arrangement is disadvantageous in that the hydraulic control system is left exposed and, therefore, susceptible to damage. Furthermore, such a system generally takes up a greater amount of space.
Compactors having a hydraulic control system which is removably secured to a compactor housing have been proposed. However, the compactor housing is equipped to receive the control unit at only one predetermined area thereon. Compactors of this type hinder an individual in the placement thereof with respect to surrounding structures. More specifically, the compactor must be located such that the predetermined area is unobstructed.